BBC examines 'next-generation' games
Alright, students, pop quiz time. Take out a sheet of notebook paper and a No. 2 pencil and answer this question: what is a next-generation game? Oh, BBC, we only needed a one-sentence answer, you didn't have to write a novel!
The BBC has published an article discussing how developers are using next-generation hardware and tools in storytelling. In addition to noting the strides in graphical technology, including attempts to overcome the Uncanny Valley, the article emphasizes the need to advance game design.
"We need the Alfred Hitchcock and the Orson Welles of gaming to step forward and lead the industry into a new era. At the moment we have plenty of Buster Keaton's and Harold Lloyd's," said David Breben, an industry vet (remember Elite?) currently working on The Outsider.
We can't help but recall the recently-reignited "games as art" debate when we read this article, as the focus of the piece is how the new technology helps developers with storytelling.
Should we call every PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 title "next-generation," or should demote the title for lacking innovation? Okay, pencils down, time's up, pass in your quiz answers.
